Boboiboy's POV

Fang’s arms stayed wrapped around me, strong and unwavering, but I couldn’t take it anymore. The anger bubbling inside me burst to the surface.

“Let me go!” I shouted, jerking forward and breaking free from his grip. I turned to face him, my chest heaving with frustration. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Fang looked startled, his hands lingering in the air as if he wasn’t sure whether to reach for me again. “I... I just wanted to—”

“Wanted to what?” I snapped, my voice cracking. “Apologize? Fix everything with a hug? You can’t just throw punches and then act like this is okay!”

His mouth opened, but no words came out. For once, Fang seemed lost for an answer, and it only fueled my anger.

I took a step back, creating more distance between us. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt. “Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

Fang flinched at my words, his shoulders tensing. “I know I messed up,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible. “But I—”

“Stop,” I interrupted, holding up a hand. “Just stop.”

My thoughts raced, and unbidden, images of Nyx and Tony flashed through my mind.

Nyx, with his easy smile and soft voice, always managing to make me laugh even when things felt unbearable. He had been there for me, never once making me feel small or hurt. And Tony—though I’d never fully trusted him—at least he hadn’t betrayed me like this.

Compared to them, Fang felt like chaos personified, a storm I couldn’t control or escape.

“You don’t get to treat me like this,” I said, my voice trembling. “You don’t get to hurt me and then expect me to just... forgive you.”

Fang’s eyes widened slightly, and I could see the panic flickering behind them. He took a cautious step forward, but I held my ground.

“Boboiboy, please,” he said, his voice softer now. “I know I’ve been terrible to you. I know I’ve hurt you. But I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”

I shook my head, my chest tightening. “Do you even hear yourself? You can’t just—” My voice caught in my throat as Nyx’s face surfaced again, his warm laughter echoing in my memory.

Why couldn’t things be that simple with Fang? Why did he always have to make everything so hard?

“You don’t even know what you want,” I said bitterly, my fists clenched at my sides. “You think saying sorry and holding onto me will fix everything? It won’t.”

Fang’s expression faltered, his confidence crumbling. “I know it’s not enough,” he said. “But I... I don’t know what else to do. I just—”

“Just stop,” I said again, my voice sharper this time. “You don’t get to do this, Fang. Not after what you’ve put me through.”

The weight of my own words hit me, and I suddenly felt exhausted. I turned away from him, my back to his stunned figure.

“Boboiboy—” he started, but I cut him off.

“Just leave me alone,” I said quietly, walking away before he could say another word.

As I put more distance between us, my mind raced with conflicting emotions. Fang’s actions, his words, the raw vulnerability in his voice—it all clashed with the warmth and stability Nyx and even Tony had shown me.

For the first time, I wondered if holding onto Fang was worth all the pain.

My hand hovered over my watch, trembling as I moved to activate the communicator. I needed to end this. I needed an escape.

But before I could press the button, Fang grabbed my wrist.

“What are you—” I barely had time to react before he yanked me toward him.

Then his lips were on mine.

The world tilted as Fang forced the kiss, his hand sliding to the back of my head, holding me in place. His other hand pressed firmly against my back, pulling me closer than I thought possible.

I froze, my mind blanking as the heat of the moment consumed me. His touch was rough, desperate, and overwhelming, leaving no room for thought. My body tensed, my hands instinctively pushing against his chest, but Fang didn’t let go.

The kiss deepened, his breath warm and uneven against my skin. I hated how it made me feel. I hated the warmth spreading through me, the way a small part of me didn’t want to fight back.

But the other part of me—the one still burning with anger—snapped back to life.

“No!”

Summoning every ounce of strength, I shoved him with both hands, breaking free from his grip. Fang stumbled back, his arms falling to his sides. Without thinking, I swung my hand, the slap echoing in the stillness around us.

He froze, his head snapping to the side, his cheek turning red from the impact.

My chest heaved as I glared at him, my hand trembling from the force of the slap. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I shouted, my voice cracking with fury and confusion.

Fang turned his head slowly, his wide eyes meeting mine. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t defensive. He just looked... lost.

“I... I don’t know why I’m like this,” he said, his voice trembling.

I stared at him, stunned. His hand moved to his cheek, cradling the spot where I’d hit him. His expression was helpless, almost childlike, as if he couldn’t understand his own actions.

“I don’t know,” he repeated, his voice breaking. His eyes searched mine, desperate for something I couldn’t give him. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

His vulnerability caught me off guard, but I couldn’t let it distract me. The rawness in his voice made my heart clench, but my anger wasn’t ready to let go.

“Fang, you can’t just... You can’t treat me like this!” I snapped, my voice shaking. “Do you even understand what you’re doing? You’re confusing me, hurting me, and then you... you do this?!”

His shoulders slumped, his hands falling to his sides. He didn’t try to defend himself, didn’t try to explain. He just stood there, staring at me like he didn’t even recognize himself.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “You don’t get to do this to me. You don’t get to play with my feelings just because you don’t understand your own!”

The words came out harsher than I intended, but I couldn’t stop them. My emotions were too raw, too overwhelming.

Fang didn’t move, didn’t say a word. He just looked at me, his eyes glassy with emotions I couldn’t decipher.

For a moment, the silence between us felt heavier than anything else. Then I pressed the communicator on my watch.

“Nyx,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady.

Nyx’s voice responded instantly, calm but firm. “I’m on standby. Is it time?”

“Yes,” I replied curtly, not daring to look at Fang.

“Understood,” Nyx said, his tone indicating he already knew the urgency.

I lowered my hand, the watch glowing faintly as Nyx initiated the retrieval process.

I stole one last glance at Fang. His gaze was fixed on the ground, his expression unreadable. The sight of him like that stirred something in me—something I didn’t want to name.

A familiar hum filled the air as Nyx’s transport approached, signaling that it was time to leave. Without another word, I stepped forward, the space between Fang and me growing wider with each step.

Fang didn’t follow.

---

The hum of the transport grew louder, signaling Nyx’s arrival. The hatch opened, and before I could step inside, I spotted Tony rushing past Nyx, sprinting straight toward Fang.

“Fang!” Tony’s voice was sharp with concern as he ran to him.

I froze, watching the scene unfold, unsure of how to feel. Fang still stood in the same spot, his hand cradling the cheek I’d slapped. Tony reached him quickly, gripping his shoulders and shaking him slightly.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Tony asked, his voice tight with worry.

Fang didn’t reply immediately. His gaze dropped, his usual confidence nowhere to be found.

“Fang, talk to me!” Tony pressed, his voice rising slightly.

“I... I don’t know,” Fang finally muttered, his voice shaky. His fingers brushed over the reddened skin of his face.

Tony’s brow furrowed, and he turned toward me with a look that could burn. “What the hell did you do to him?”

“Me?” I snapped, my anger boiling over again. “Maybe you should ask him what he did!”

Tony took a step toward me, but Nyx’s hand shot out, stopping him.

“Enough,” Nyx said firmly, his calm yet commanding tone silencing us both. His gaze flicked to Tony, then to me. “We’re not doing this here.”

Tony glared but didn’t argue, instead turning back to Fang, his expression softening. “Let’s get you inside,” he said, gently guiding Fang toward the transport.

Fang followed without resistance, his movements sluggish and hesitant. As they passed me, I caught a glimpse of his face—his eyes looked lost, his usual sharpness replaced with something I couldn’t quite place. Guilt? Confusion?

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to look away as I climbed into the transport.

Inside, I took a seat as far from Fang and Tony as possible. Nyx entered last, closing the hatch behind him and taking a seat across from me.

Tony sat beside Fang, leaning close as he whispered something to him. His hand rested lightly on Fang’s arm, a gesture that shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did.

Nyx’s gaze bore into me. “What’s going on, Boboiboy?”

“Nothing,” I said curtly, staring out the window.

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” His tone was steady but edged with concern.

I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair. “It’s complicated.”

Nyx didn’t push further, but his silence was heavy, filled with unspoken questions.

Tony’s voice, soft but insistent, broke through the quiet. “Fang, what happened? You’re scaring me.”

“I don’t know,” Fang murmured again, his voice barely audible. “I don’t know why I’m like this.” His hand moved to his face, touching the spot where I’d slapped him.

Tony’s grip on his arm tightened slightly, his face filled with worry. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “We’ll figure it out.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. The sight of Tony comforting Fang, the way his voice softened when he spoke to him—it made my chest ache in ways I didn’t understand.

“I’m going to rest,” I muttered, standing abruptly and moving to the corner of the cabin.

As I sat down, I pressed my head against the cool metal wall, closing my eyes. The transport hummed around me, but all I could hear was Fang’s broken voice repeating over and over in my mind.

“I don’t know why I’m like this.”

As we arrived back at the main ship, my eyes immediately landed on Oz standing beside Tony and Fang. A flicker of confusion crossed my mind. Where had he been the whole time we were in the jet?

He was like a shadow—always there but never quite noticeable. A fly on the wall.

Fang, Oz, and Tony stepped off the ship first, Nyx following close behind.

Nyx turned to me briefly and said, “The mission went well. And you and Fang? Looks like you both managed to survive each other too.”

I blinked at him, unsure how to respond. “Yeah... I guess.”

At least the monsters were no longer detected on the radar, which meant we’d succeeded in that regard. Still, despite the success, the outcome felt... off.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I walked straight into something—or rather, someone.

“You’re in deep thought,” Nyx commented, crossing his arms with a smirk.

“Huh? Oh, haha...” I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my head.

“What do you mean, ‘haha’? I know something serious happened again.”

His words made me freeze. “Again?” I repeated, confusion lacing my voice.

Nyx’s eyes widened slightly, as if realizing he’d said too much. He stepped back, his long braided hair swaying with the motion.

“N-nothing,” he stammered, turning away quickly.

His reaction sent a chill down my spine. Did he know? Could he possibly have guessed that Fang had kissed me back at the haunted house?

We made our way to the hangar and then to the ship’s control room to report to Kizka. I couldn’t help but notice that Fang seemed... fine. Gone was the lost, conflicted expression he’d worn earlier.

That was fast.

My gaze drifted to Tony. It was because of him.

As Kizka entered the room, everyone stood at attention, saluting him as he strode into the bridge with his usual commanding presence.

His stern eyes scanned each of us as he waited for the reports.

Tony went first, explaining how his teleportation ability had been crucial in dodging enemy attacks. That power explained how he’d teleported me back at the Fun Park.

Oz followed, describing how his Bloody Rabbit summon had acted as an impenetrable tank, shielding them from danger.

When it was Fang and my turn, we glossed over the details of our personal fight, sticking strictly to the mission.

Still, Kizka’s sharp eyes lingered on us. My slightly swollen cheek and the faint redness on Fang’s face didn’t go unnoticed. He closed his eyes briefly, as if deciding not to press the issue—for now.

“You’re dismissed,” he said, his tone final.

We left the control room, and as we walked toward our rooms, I saw Fang enter his quarters with Tony.

Something in my chest ached at the sight, but I quickly pushed it down. This is my choice, I reminded myself. I’d rejected Fang because it was clear where his heart truly lay—with Tony.

I turned to my right, where Nyx walked silently beside me.

Nyx. He was here, with me.

I couldn’t help but smile, feeling a faint warmth amid the turmoil.

Ignoring the pang in my chest from seeing Fang and Tony together, I quickened my pace to match Nyx. “By the way, Nyx,” I said, glancing at him. “Why aren’t you heading to your room? You left your bag in mine earlier.”

Nyx slowed his steps and turned toward me, his expression suddenly serious. His hands gripped my shoulders gently but firmly, stopping me in my tracks.

“Stay in my room tonight, please,” he said, his voice low and almost desperate.

His words stunned me. My face flushed instantly, and my heart pounded in my chest.

“W-what?” I stammered, feeling my legs weaken under his intense gaze.

Nyx tilted his head, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. “What’s wrong? The other day, you asked me to stay with you, remember?”

The memory hit me like a wave, and I felt my entire face burn. I looked away, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“You’re going to make him combust, Nyx,” Kizka’s voice interrupted, his tone amused as he approached us from behind.

I turned quickly, covering my red face with both hands as I tried to regain my composure.

Kizka placed a hand on both our heads, his stern demeanor softening into a rare, warm smile. “You both did amazing today,” he said gently.

The warmth in his voice made my chest tighten. Amid all the confusion and chaos, his praise felt like a salve on my raw emotions.

But then Kizka straightened, his tone shifting back to its usual commanding authority. “As you were already discussing Nyx’s room, I’ll join you both there. I need to ask Boboiboy what happened.”

My heart dropped.

I froze, and all the warmth in my face drained, replaced by a stern, guarded expression.

Nyx turned to me, his eyes questioning, yet somehow knowing.

I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever was to come.

To be continue...